Exploring Existing Models and Frameworks for Balancing Financial and Non-Financial KPIs with Strategic Decision-Making in Product Management

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to investigate how financial and non-financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are integrated into strategic product management through widely used performance models, analysing both challenges faced by practitioners and opportunities for system improvement. The research conducted two phases of research, secondary research and primary research. The secondary research discussed several key aspects, including foundations of strategic performance management focusing on practices in product organizations, core models and frameworks for KPI Integration, as well as theoretical perspectives that support KPI integration, decision making in product management and finally the role of product managers in translating strategy into measurable outcomes. The primary research was conducted via semi-structured interviews, ten experts with different roles in product management from varying organizational sectors, sizes, and maturity levels were interviewed to discuss performance measurement practices, the challenges they face in aligning KPIs with strategic objectives, and their insights into best practices for improving performance measurement systems to better support decisions. Interviews were transcribed, processed, and analysed, with detailed discussion presented in chapter 3. The discussion played a pivotal role in answering the research questions.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Sandra Mühlböck (Supervisor)